The appointment recognises Owen's longstanding contribution to Northern Ireland's farming and food sectors, including his leadership of Devenish, which carries out ground-breaking work in the area of optimising animal and human nutrition through innovative science and technology. Under Owen's leadership since 1997, Devenish has evolved from a trading company focused primarily on the Northern Ireland market to a Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) business trading in over 50 countries today.
From a family business background, his passion and determination to champion the role of nutritious food in promoting human health and his commitment that farming protects the environment have had a significant impact on the growth and success of Devenish. Speaking about his OBE appointment, Owen said: "I accept this Award with a sense of appreciation of my colleagues. It is truly a reflection of the talented, committed people I have been privileged to work alongside throughout my career at Devenish. This recognition is due to a great team effort and I am always proud to represent that."
In 2018, Devenish in partnership with Moy Park, Skea Eggs and Waitrose delivered a world-first, having completed a clinical trial with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. This proved that regular consumption of naturally enriched omega-3 chicken and eggs will reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia and depression. The chicken meat and eggs used in the study came from birds fed with OmegaPro, a sustainable source of omega-3, developed by Devenish.
Outside of Devenish, Owen has been heavily involved in championing the agri-food industry. He has served as President of the Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association, Chairman of the Livestock and Meat Commission and on the Agri-Food Strategy Board.
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